Lizzie's POV

A few weeks later we weren't any closer to finding anyone interested in joining a crew with us, we were both still stuck with one another and I was currently at the Chip Shoppe on break from my work in my mothers hair salon and to just hang out with Uma since with her practically running this place we didn't get to see each other much outside of school, not like when we were kids and could raise hell and mischief in peace.

"A pint of pond scum, two brine balls, a bucket of chum and a side of rot" I overheard an old pirate order with Uma peering over her notepad as he studied the menu with his good eye.

"Rot: dry or wet?" she asked him with her pencil poised over the notepad taking down his order for the cook and I watched the pirate think about it.

"Wet" he finally replied and I scoffed to myself.

"Terrible choice" I muttered eating some of the salted fries on my plate.

"Order in!" Uma spoke up placing the ticket on the revolving machine for the cook.

"Order up!" the cook growled back, she was a surly woman in a white chef's hat and red apron and she slammed every order on the table with a bang so that half its contents spilled on the floor.

The shops menu was posted on old wooden planks over the counter listing all the items that were served such as sea slime, spleen and grit as well as the specials which were shell smell and fish guts...like I said gross and honestly should be uneatable but we ate what we could with the options that we had and the chip shoppe's saying was 'You'll take it, how I make it' and so far no one had the courage to complain still remembering the power the sea witch used to wield even though Ursula doesn't even work in her own shop anymore and much prefers to watch the god awful soap operas on TV which meant it was up to Uma and the cook to solely keep this place running.

Uma grabbed the tray, tucked the pencil behind her ear and delivered the meal to the right customer before we both continued serving the tables which were filled with pirates still and continued to fill up before I laughed watching Uma kick out some of the pirates for dueling while pointing at a sign that read 'NO DUELING' before she returned to the old pirate with his meal and the old guy sniffed the plate of brine.

"This smells a week old" he pointed out and I scoffed since did he expect something else, I stuck to fries only as I wasn't that big of a fan of eating fish which was almost unheard of for a pirate but it was a fact for me.

"It is a week old" Uma scoffed crossing her arms.

"Excellent!" he said before digging into his rather disgusting looking meal and I rolled my eyes leaning back in my seat kicking my feet up onto the long table in the very back of the restaurant next to the cooks window where I was sitting watching a re-run of the annual seaside festival which was a daylong celebration of merfolk life which had been yesterday and was really the only thing we ever got to watch was Auradon propaganda promoting us to 'be good', the horrible soap operas, Auradon celebrations and of course the re-runs of those celebrations.

"What news?" I heard Uma ask making me tare my eyes off the screen away from that ridiculous singing crab and made my way over to her seeing her talking to the same pirate who was now done with his meal and rubbing his stomach in appreciation.

"Goblins have some hot info" he replied leaning forward to whisper, I raised an eye as I stood and approached his table a little curious especially since I was bored.

"Goblins are terrible gossips" I spat back rolling my eyes as Uma started clearing the table stacking everything on her tray.

"Yeah that may be but they have an interesting tale to spin this time" he insisted as I began helping Uma. "Rumor going around the docks is that it's got something to do with the merfolk" he added.

"Oh yeah?" Uma asked her interest slightly more peeked considering her own merfolk blood and I watched the pirate raise an eyebrow noting he had her attention now.

"You know that storm we had yesterday?" he asked and we both nodded since it had been a pretty bad one. "The big one that almost tore down the mast of the Jolly Rodger?" we nodded again. "Something weird about that storm, it came out of nowhere ripped through all of Auradon and the Isle of the Lost, Goblins say that a couple of eels over by Seaside saw a fool mermaid playing around with King Triton's trident and accidently created that downpour and lost the trident in the process" Uma and I shared a look since it sounded too good to be true.

"Lost trident huh...I call it a fish tale" Uma argued putting away the tray of dirty dishes and crossing her arms.

"Everyone knows all the magical artifacts in the kingdom are kept in the Museum of Cultural History" I added matching her posture as we both stared at the guy.

"Triton doesn't even use his trident anymore, the golden age of magic is over in Auradon" Uma spoke.

"Doesn't he take it out for every mer-festival?" the old pirate asked scratching his silver beard.

"He does" Uma nodded having to agree with that since we'd seen the King using it on TV yesterday and in all the re-runs.

"And when was the festival?" the old pirate pressed.

"Yesterday" I replied with a shrug since we weren't idiots.

"Ended with that big storm" he said again and I rolled my eyes since I thought we'd already pointed that out.

"But if Triton's lost his trident why doesn't he just call it back up?" Uma asked with a thoughtful look. "Can't he do that?" I just shrugged since I had no clue but the pirate smiled a crafty smile.

"He sure can except he doesn't know it's gone yet, none of the merfolk do" the old pirate replied. "No-one knows how but some goblins swear they saw it right by the edge of the barrier and that it somehow floated over on our side, which means it's currently adrift in the waters around the Isle of the Lost" he went on and Uma and I shared a look at that.

"But how did it get here through the barrier, nothing can pass through that thing, not even underwater?" I asked looking at Uma but she just shrugged not having a clue any more than I did.

"Mystery isn't it but the goblins swear it's true, something must have happened over in Auradon" the old pirate spoke up instead. "Now everyone's looking for that thing, including me" he grinned. "What Triton would give to have it back, right?" Uma and I shared another look as her eyes narrowed and I could tell her thoughts were racing and mine were as well since if the goblins were right and this pirate wasn't lying then Uma and I had a massive opportunity here all we had to do was get that trident before anybody else did.

The old pirate left after dropping enough rusted copper coins down to pay for his meal and I watched as Uma started playing with the locket around her neck, and I knew she always played with it when she was anxious but then a smile befell her lips and she got a wicked glint to her eye and I knew then that she'd come up with a new idea one that definitely included getting that trident.

"You've got an idea haven't you?" I asked and she smirked making me roll my eyes.

"We're getting that trident"

"Oh yeah, and how do you suppose we do that when we have no clue where it is?" I asked with a smug smirk myself since like that old geezer said everyone is looking for it.

"We're gonna need that crew...and a ship" she replied with a wicked smile before she walked off to obviously do more plotting and I sighed knowing this was gonna be one big adventure if she continued for this quest for the trident, I understood it since I wanted off this island too.

The next morning I found myself walking down the halls of school Serpent Prep heading towards my first class for the day which I shared with Uma, I haven't seen her since yesterday as I had to return to work before mother sent her loyal card servants to fine me which meant I was curious to know whether or not she'd figured out a plan yet to get us a crew and a ship.

"Coming through, coming through!" I rolled my eyes watching him flying down the banister, the tails of his red waistcoat flapping as everyone moved out of his way as he laughed his maniacal laughter slashing at the air with the metal hook that he carried in his left hand and a little first-year student tripped to get out of his way before Harry landed on his feet and with a flourish tipped his black tricorn hat and bowed to a group of witches who tittered at the sight of him.

"Hiiiiii Harry" the chorused in a melodic singsong making me roll my eyes especially with Harry's flirtatious reply.

"Ladies" he winked, his smirk making them swoon even more.

Harry Hook had dark hair and always had a wicked gleam to his dark blue eyes that reminded me of a stormy sea and were always roguishly lined by guyliner and soot giving them an even darker more sinister look to his other ruggedly handsome features and I remember vividly that I had a crush on him when we were younger since he always carried himself with such swagger and a swashbuckling charm of a real devil-may-care buccaneer and he used to make my heart rate beat faster by just looking at him.

Harry was the only boy in his family, between his older sister Harriet and his younger sister CJ short for Calista Jane and so being the only boy is why Harry prided himself in being just like his father and it's why he carried the silver hook in his left hand but it lead to him being wild, unpredictable, off-kilter and even a little mad but like the rest of us he desperately seeked his father's approval and I knew how much he wished he had a real hook just like his father as if it would make his father proud and I knew he'd gone as far as even trying to taunt and entice Tick-Tock to take a bite once by hanging off Tick-Tocks dock dipping a hand in the water so that the croc would bite off his hand but thankfully Tick-Tock had just opened one eye then went back to sleep.

"Ilizabeth" my head snapped up to find him directly in front of me and I felt the telltale signs of a red blush creeping up to my cheeks...so maybe I wasn't totally over my tiny crush.

"Hook" I snipped back with a smirk pushing down my racing heartbeat covering it with confidence. "And I've told you before Hook, the names Lizzie" I hated my full name it was so old and boring but my mother was cruel like that. "Ilizabeth is horrid and boring"

"And I've told you that I don't think it's boring at all" he shot back step closer and my breath hitched in my throat before the old bell rung snapping me back to reality.

"Whatever" I mumbled as we walked into the classroom together and I immediately took the seat next to Uma who was already here and one look I knew she was deep in thought probably still trying to come up with her mastermind plan to get the trident.

"Well helloooo" Harry drawled sitting on Uma's other side.

"Arr" Uma grunted just looking irritated and I saw Harry looking over at me, a curious look in his eyes almost asking me what was wrong but I just shrugged, Harry had started hanging around with Uma and I after we lost Mal's friendship meaning he was our oldest friend on the Isle but Uma mainly decided that she could order him around when we were kids and for some reason Harry sort of fell into the habit of following her orders which I never understood.

But aside from that, we were always up for mischief and adventure which is why this was our favorite class Accelerated Piracy: Hostage Taking and Threatening but todays lesson was all about different pirate flags which would put almost anybody to sleep which is why Uma's behavior was so strange since she'd be the first person to complain about today's lesson and even I found myself wishing she'd shake herself out of this dark mood so we could turn this class into something fun together.

"Want to go see if we can find some first-years to walk the plank?" Harry suddenly asked and I looked up at him. "Or raid Jafar's junk shop?" I scoffed since he couldn't be serious about that one, there was like a hundred locks on the doors and with Jay no longer stocking the store it was pretty much empty and not worth the hassle at unpicking the amount of locks.

"Not today, today I need a ship" Uma replied shaking her head and Harry looked at me in confusion, I gave him a shrug.

"A ship, what do you need a ship for?" Harry asked her.

"We're pirates Harry, what kind of pirates don't have a pirate ship" I replied with a smirk really goading him since he was the true pirate here even though the pirates life on the Isle of the Lost was a bit limited, there were no rich galleons loaded with gold to attack, no merchant ships to hold hostage and no ports to raid although with a ship our pirating would still be limited by the invisible barrier which kept the island apart from the mainland which meant the ship could only sail from one end of the island to the other, maybe even to the Isle of the Doomed, the haunted island that no one visited.

"Think of all the awful things we could do if we a set of sails" Uma added making me smile.

"Especially if we ever got out of the Isle of the Lost, we'd have the freedom to do bad deeds everywhere" I smirked deviously looking at Harry since even he had to admit that sounded promising, having the freedom to rampage and have even better adventures exploring the world and stealing its greatest treasures.

"All right, we need a ship but where would we get-" Harry asked but then trailed off and I raised an eye at him as he started rummaging through his coat pockets before he pulled out a piece of paper unfurling it. "Look at this" he smiled laying it flat on the table between the three of us.

It was a drawing of a ship. A pirate ship with black sails flying the Jolly Rodger and everything which told me it was a drawing of one of Captain Hook's ships and it was a real beauty but the words is what really caught Uma and I's attention.

"The Lost Revenge" Uma read out the ships name.

"Good name for a pirates ship" Harry smirked before we read the rest of the text.

PIRATE RACE
FIRST MAN TO REACH DEAD MAN'S COVE FROM GOBLIN'S WHARF WINS
THE LOST REVENGE
FROM THE ONE AND ONLY CAPTAIN HOOK

IF IT FLOATS, USE IT AS A BOAT:
TO ENTER: BRING TREASURE!

"This is it!" Uma exclaimed eyes alight. "I'm wining that ship!"

"You?!" Harry and I exclaimed at the clear lack of inclusion from her, Harry almost choked on the word and fell off his chair which almost made me laugh...almost.

"This is a ship from my Dad's fleet, that ship should be mine" hate to agree but he was right, we all had our family heirlooms...most of us anyway since my mother didn't spare me enough attention to even give me anything from her own villainous days except for the stories about ordering people to cut off heads and her days on the throne before Alice slayed her jabberwocky and my Aunt the precious White Queen took over the throne. "And you'll need a crew to sail that thing!"

"We'll get a crew" Uma argued slamming her fist down on his desk and I rolled my eyes since now it was 'we', what did she expect that I was gonna be her second in command. "This is more like Isle of the Lemmings, everyone here is just looking for someone to fear now that Maleficent's a lizard there's no one in charge, why not us" she went on looking at me with the last bit. "We'll have a crew faster than you can say octopus!" have we not been trying that for the last few weeks.

"But neither of you even know how to sail" Harry protested and again I hated to admit it but he had a point.

"And you do?" Uma sneered.

"Of course I do" Harry shot back. "I'm a pirate, you're just a sea witch and a princess" I glared at him since I hated being called 'princess'.

"I don't care that ship is mine" Uma argued grabbing one end of the flyer.

"No it's mine!" Harry argued back grabbing the other end and started pulling it between them and I rolled my eyes since why did I always end up in these situations between two children tugging at something.

"Are you two serious right now!" I complained staring at them wide eyed right as Uma let go of her side which took Harry by surprise and he lost hold of his hook which rolled to the floor and as quick as lucifer Uma pounced on it and held it high.

"It's mine!" she said triumphantly as my eyes widened since taking Harry's hook...you just never did that.

"Give it back" Harry growled seething.

"Oh I'll give it back...if" Uma replied with a dangerous smile creeping on her face and she looked so much like her mother in that moment.

"If?" Harry squeaked clearly intimidated by Uma's look and scared to think about himself without his precious hook which was just like a second limb for him as if his hand was cut off.

"If you or us win this pirate race, I'll give you your hook back" Uma said and I sighed not wanting to get roped into this.

"And if we don't?" Harry asked her.

"If none of us win your hook is gone forever, I'll throw it in the ocean and if I win you work for us as first mate"

"And what am I?" I asked quirking an eyebrow at her.

"We're Co-Captains" she smirked and I smirked back happy with that before we both turned to Harry. "We can't sail a ship but you can"

"So if you win or I win I get my hook back?" he asked and we nodded. "And if you win, I have to work for the two of you" we nodded again.

"Uh-huh" Uma replied with a salty smile. "Like I said, you'll be the first mate on our crew"

"If you win" Harry reminded.

"You're not going to win" Uma shot back smugly, crossing her arms. "We always beat you" she added and I had to smile at that since she was right about that, Harry could never beat us at anything...except maybe me at swimming and swordsmanship.

"I might" Harry argued. "I'm fast"

"Slippery more like it" I shot at him with a smirk.

"Slippery is still fast" Harry replied with a winning smile as he winked back at me.

"So it's a deal?" Uma asked holding Harry's hook behind her back while stretching out her other hand.

"Deal" Harry replied shaking it. "Now tell me why you really need that ship" he asked, Uma and I shared a look before Uma told him about the trident and how we could use it to bargain our way off the Isle and Harry listened attentively without even yawning or interrupting surprisingly as I sat by and played with my deck of cards that I've always had and carried with me everywhere. "Okay say we do get that ship, how are we gonna find that thing in the water?" he asked once we were finished but Uma waved her hand dismissively.

"I'll figure it out later" Uma finally replied.

"You really think we'll get off this island?" Harry asked.

"If we play our cards right" I smirked shuffling my deck smirking up at him.

"Negotiation is my specialty" Uma added adding her own smirk as I watched Harry scratch his cheek obviously thinking it over.

"Alright let's go put some rafts together" Harry finally said studying the flyer again. "The race is this afternoon"